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'Although many of us admire tenacity and persistence, there are moments in life when you have to recognise that the world is trying to tell you to step aside.

'Such a moment has now arrived for an entire political party, or what remains of it. For the UK Independence Party has just managed to have yet another leadership crisis, over yet another leader it has only just elected.'

He said Ms Marney's texts were 'racist and disgusting in the extreme' and such abuse is 'totally unacceptable' in Britain today.

And he said if the party is to stand a chance of surviving it must 'expunge the thinking of people like Ms Marney'.

Ukip leader Henry Bolton, 54, (pictured yesterday) bowed to pressure and finally dumped his ex glamour model girlfriend Jo Marney, 25, (pictured on Sunday) after it emerged she sent racist texts about Prince Harry's fiancee and US actress Meghan Markle, and said her genes would 'taint our royal family'

But he warned the party's problems run much deeper than he 'latest eruption of trouble' and that its leaders should pack up and go home.

He wrote: 'Mr Bolton is the fifth leader of his party within the past 16 months - or sixth if you count Nigel Farage being acting leader after one of them lasted only 18 days.

'When you have had so many leaders in a year and a half that you struggle to remember who they all were and why each of them quit, and are now having to think about getting a sixth or seventh one, the problem is not the leaders.

'There is a more fundamental issue....they do not know why they exist as a party any more, and cannot communicate a reason for it to the media, the voters, or possibly even themselves.'

He added: 'Mr Bolton is not going to find salvation for his party in campaigning on Europe, and he is certainly not going to find it with anything near to the views of his ex-girlfriend.'

William Hague said the latest Ukip scandal involving Henry Bolton and his Jo Marney (the pair of them are pictured together) highlighted that the 'writing is on the wall' for the Kippers and the party is 'over'

And he said the best way to avert a 'long, fruitless and miserable battle for existence' is to close down.

Lord Hague said Brexit will soon be delivered and the passionate debates surrounding it, over.

He added: 'In the meantime, the endless succession of leaders means the writing on the wall for Ukip members could not be clearer. It says this party is over, and it's time to move on.'

The remarks come as the Ms Marney scandal which has rocked Ukip takes a fresh twist as it emerged Mr Bolton tried to cover up her racist tweets.

The Ukip leader finally bowed to pressure and dumped the former topless model after he was told it was either her or the party.

But it was reported today that he threatened Ms Marney's ex-boyfriend after suspecting him of leaking the messages.

According to The Sun, he told the man - known as 'Patrick' - that he was 'playing with fire'.

He is said to have written: 'Patrick, you are so far out of your depth here. You are playing with fire. Do that immediately and then, really, pack it in.'